Pretending
by Neko-Chan in Wonderland
Summary: [Oneshot] Post anime. Ayu and Kaji are frustrated because Nina and Tsujiai are still pretending to be friends as if nothing has happened. So they call on Yuta for some magical help. Project LoveLove NiJiai begins. NinaTsujiai AyuKaji


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Ultra Maniac.

**A/N:** Yay, my first Ultra Maniac fic. I rewatched it just now and fell in love with it all over again. But I don't think enough was said on the part of Tsujiai and Nina. So a oneshot just-for-them!

* * *

It had been a while since Nina returned from the Magic Kingdom, and things had pretty much gone back to normal. Too normal. As Ayu observed, Nina and Tsujiai had gone back to being friends as if nothing had ever happened. And even though she didn't know the details, she knew SOMETHING definately happened. But the two were apparently still embarrassed or something, because they were just like always, no affection or anything, except for brief, awkward moments where they just looked at each other in silence, before looking away blushing, or laughing nervously. It was a time that Ayu wished she was a Magic Girl, so she could help out Nina and Tsujiai.

"Tateishi... Doesn't Sakura-san like Tsujiai?" Kaji asked suddenly as he and Ayu walked together on their way home from school after Tsujiai and Nina had made appropriate excuses not to accompany them. The couple had figured out it was because their friends were once again coming up with plans to get them alone together.

"Yeah, I think she does... doesn't Tsujiai-kun like Nina?" Ayu asked.

"Well... he never said anything directly, but I have a feeling he does. We've been friends for a long time, and I've learned to see right through him." Kaji chuckled. "He stares at her a lot, and always gets really quiet when I talk about her. That's evidence enough."

"Ano, Kaji-kun, should we do something? Those two are awfully slow." Ayu sighed. "I'm almost certain something happened between them, but they're acting like it's nothing. Uwahh... I wish I was a Magic Girl! Practice! Practice!" Ayu wailed, waving her hands, making Kaji laugh.

"Isn't there anyone magical you know who you could ask?" Kaji suggested.

"Ano... well..." Ayu's mind instantly flashed to Yuta, but she shoved it aside. "No, not really." She looked down. _That would be way too much to ask of Yuta-kun._

"Ah, this is where I leave you, Tateishi. Ja ne!" Kaji waved, walking in the opposite direction.

"Ah, wait!" Ayu skipped up to Kaji and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Ja ne!" She called, blushing and waving at a very red Kaji, before hopping around the block. _I DID IT!_ She spun around as she continued walking. A sudden gust of wind rushed around her, and her skirt flew up, revealing her underwear to anyone who was around. Thankfully, the street was vacant.

Laughter echoed from above her, and she turned to see Yuta standing on a streetlamp behind her. "Pink." he smirked.

"PERVERT!" Ayu yelled, tossing her bag at him. "What are you doing here anyway?" She grumbled, picking up the bag from the ground by the lamp. Yuta drifted down to the ground and shrugged.

"Nothing really, just visiting. So... how are things going here?" He asked as they continued walking. "Have Nina and Tsujiai gotten all lovey-dovey yet?" he asked, winking. "I see you and Kaji have."

Ayu blushed, but looked at him anyway. "Doesn't it bother you? Nina and Tsujiai-kun?"

Yuta shrugged. "I'm getting over it. There's nothing I can do if Nina loves someone else. I just want her to be happy, I guess. And plus, I met this KAWAII chick at the ball. She gave me this!" he held up a weird-looking token.

Ayu sweatdropped. _That looks like it's from... Luna-chan..._ Ayu realized something and stopped, turning abruptly to Yuta. "Aha! Then, help me out, will you?"

"Eh? With what?"

Ayu explained the situation to Yuta.

"Ahh... is that so? Aha, Nina has always been rather naive. And this Tsujiai fellow doesn't really seem like the touchy-feely type to me, so I guess those two are a difficult pair, huh? Hmm, you want me to use magic to help them?" Yuta asked, grinning.

"Just don't do anything weird! Just use it to get them into a situation which is so sickeningly perfect and romantic, they'll HAVE to confess!" Ayu's eyes sparkled. _Nina and Tsujiai-kun... Are so perfect!_

Yuta laughed. "Consider it done!"

Ayu smiled. "You really do care about Nina, don't you?"

Yuta looked away blushing. "Of course."

* * *

"Nina!" Ayu cried in mock frustration. "Okaa-san won't let me go to the festival this year!"

"Eh? But..." Nina looked down. "I was looking forward to going, the four of us like last year!"

"Yeah, it's really too bad." Kaji said as he and Tsujiai joined. "I'm going over to her house to keep her company, so I won't be joining you either." Kaji winked at Ayu, knowing everything after Ayu filled him in.

"Ah well. I guess you and Tsujiai will just have to go without us..." Ayu sighed casually.

Both Nina and Tsujiai stiffened noticably.

"Ahaha, maybe we shouldn't go either, since you two can't go." Nina laughed nervously, blushing, and Tsujiai nodded, his face taking a on a similar shade of pink.

"Don't be silly." Kaji insisted. "You shouldn't let us hold you back. Anyway, have fun!" he concluded before they could protest further.

"Come on, Kaji-kun, let's walk together." Ayu said, pulling Kaji out by his hand, and the two grinning friends left Nina and Tsujiai alone and awkward.

"Ano... I guess I'll see you there, Tsujiai-kun?" Nina fiddled with her skirt, blushing.

"Nn." Tsujiai nodded, looking up out the window, still red. "Usual place."

A grey cat hopped unnoticed from the windowsill and onto a tree where a silver-blonde haired boy waited. "Well, Rio?"

Rio grinned. "Project Love-Love NiJiai is in motion!" (A/N: You know, Nina plus Tsujiai equals NiJiai!)

* * *

"Okaa-san, does this look okay?" Nina asked for the hundreth time.

"You look as cute as you did twelve yukatas ago, Nina-chan!" Nina's mother giggled. "Someone's really excited about her date!"

"I-It's not a date!" Nina protested, falling onto the couch with a blush. "Tsujiai-kun and I are only alone because Ayu-chan and Kaji-kun couldn't make it! Ah, I know! Is Rio around, maybe I can take him along!"

"Gomen, Nina-chan, Rio disappeared somewhere a while ago." Nina's mother shrugged. "Ah well, looks like everyone's in on it." She sighed with a smile as she pieced together the truth behind everyone's sudden disappearances. Yuta, too, was nowhere to be seen.

"Eh? What?" Nina asked as she got up and headed for the door.

"Nothing! Have fun on your date, Nina-chan!" She waved as Nina left.

Nina sweat dropped. _Nobody ever listens..._

Nina walked to the convenience store where they always met up, her heart pounding. _It's not really a date, though... we just happen to be alone. I just have to relax and act normally._ She neared the place and saw Tsujiai standing and looking distantly into a different direction. He was dressed plainly, in a black t-shirt and faded jeans, and Nina felt overdressed. She took a deep breath. "Good evening, Tsujiai-kun!" She smiled as she reached him, waving shyly.

Tsujiai looked at her and froze, his face flushing. "Hi Sakura-san... Y-you look cute. The pink yukata suits you well."

Nina found her face heating up. "Th-thanks... um... shall we go?"

"Yeah." They walked there in silence for a long time.

Yuta and Rio followed them by jumping nearby rooftops, and Yuta sighed. "Those two sure are difficult." He pointed his finger and something invisible tripped Nina.

"UWAHH!"

"Sakura-san!" Tsujiai lunged forward just in time to catch her.

_DOKI_

They stood a moment, hugging each other, before Tsujiai released her. "Be careful. Look." He pointed to the ground where some broken glass lay scattered where Nina would have fallen. "Don't be so clumsy." He said seriously.

"Yuta, did you know about the glass?" Rio asked, sweating.

"Er... no..." Yuta replied.

"Tsujiai-kun..."

"Nina, I really worry about you sometimes, you know." Tsujiai muttered. "You always get yourself in dangerous situations, magic related or not, and have to give me a heart attack at every turn."

"Hey Yuta, I think it's working!" Rio piped up anxiously.

"Shh!" Yuta conjured himself some popcorn.

"G-gomen... Tsujiai-kun..." Nina pulled away from him blushing and continued walking. Tsujiai grabbed her wrist before she could take more than two steps, though.

"Sakura-san... how long are we going to keep acting like nothing happened?" he asked quietly.

Nina turned around to see him standing there, his cheeks tinged pink. "It wasn't a dream, was it? Back in the Dark Hole..."

"So something DID happen!" Yuta leaned forward a bit, tossing some more popcorn into his mouth.

Nina turned red. "It... wasn't."

"So, how long am I going to have to pretend that we're just friends, that I don't know how you feel, and you don't know how I feel?" Tsujiai pulled her closer to him.

"I... Tsujiai-kun..."

Yuta snapped and cherry blossoms flew in out of nowhere.

"Eh... aren't you pushing it a bit, Yuta?" Rio asked, eyes narrowed. Yuta ignored him.

Nina looked down at their connected hands and then back up at him. She wished he would stop looking at her so intensly. She closed her eyes and let out a breath, her face turning red. "Not any longer. Tsujiai-kun is the one I like, and Tsujiai-kun is the one I want to be with. I--"

Nina didn't have the chance to say anything else, because before she could open her eyes, she felt something soft on her lips, and she realized that it was his lips. She stood frozen, and let him kiss her. She was almost disappointed when he drew back. She opened her eyes to see Tsujiai looking down at her with a smile. "So, should we go. I think the festival is going to be a lot more fun, now. Especially when it's just the two of us." They started walking, and Nina noticed that he hadn't released his hand.

Both of them walked, blushing for a moment, before Nina realized something. "Ano, Tsujiai-kun, you don't think Ayu-chan and Kaji-kun..."

Tsujiai's eyes narrowed as he caught on. "Set us up...?"

"Definately." They both said at once, before sighing.

"I'm going to kill Kaji..." Tsujiai gritted his teeth.

"I guess it serves us right for always setting them up." Nina laughed.

"Now that you mention it... why are there cherry blossoms everywhere in the middle of summer...?" Tsujiai observed.

"I... don't know..."

"Ah, that's our cue to exit." Yuta grabbed Rio and disappeared.

They reappeared in Ayu's bedroom, to find Ayu and Kaji sitting on Ayu's bed kissing.

"Ano..." Yuta raised his eyebrows as he and Rio stifled laughter.

The two jumped apart blushing madly. "Y-Yuta-kun!" Ayu growled. "Don't you know how to use the door?"

Yuta laughed. "Well, sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to let you know that Project Love-Love NiJiai was a success!"

"Make out scene and all!" Rio added, raising a paw.

"Finally." Ayu and Kaji sighed.

"The catch is, I think Tsujiai is going to find us and beat us up tomorrow. Can't get anything past those two. Maybe I should have left out the cherry blossoms..." Yuta shrugged.

"K-kuso..." Kaji twitched.

"YUTA-KUN, YOU IDIOT!"

* * *

Well, probably not my bet fic, but I HAD to get that couple out of the way. The anime did NOT cover them properly! (Neither did the manga, for that matter, not even a kiss! (sob)) Well, hope you like, and please review! 


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